Hand shears for cutting hair



Sept. 7, 1954 E. o. KRAEPELIN HAND SHEARS FOR CUTTING HAIR Filed Oct. 10, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

Edward A. Kraepefin Byag Patented Sept. 7, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND SHEARS. FOR CUTTING HAIR Edward. 0. Kraepelin, New York, N. Y.

Application October 10, 1949, Serial No. 120,591

2 Claims. I

This invention relates to a pair of shears or scissors for cutting hair, and more particularly to a pair of scissors whereby one can cut his own hair. The invention is especially useful in. its application. to small scissors, to which use. however, it' is. not restricted.

An important problem in cutting ones own hair is that of obtaining a substantially uniform length of hair upon the head. Another important problem in cutting ones hair, to achieve a satisfactory conventional appearance, is that of obtaining a uniformly longer length of hair in one part of the head and a uniformly shorter length of hair on other parts of the head.

Heretofore, attempts have been made to solve these problems by adjustably attaching to one blade of a pair of shears or scissors a comb which, in operation rests upon the head, slides thereon, raises the hair in front of the blades and spaces the blades from the head. The position of such combs may be adjusted to obtain the desired length of haircut. Such arrangements are inconvenient because of the necessary size of the comb. Furthermore, a plurality of adjusting means must be manipulated in order to make the necessary adjustment; and there is a tendency for the comb to get out of adjustment. Still further if the adjusting means is simple, it is likely to catch in the hair. Finally, such apparatus is complicated and expensive.

I have now found it possible to construct a pair of scissors for cutting ones own hair, which is simple and inexpensive and which eliminates the inconvenience experienced heretofore with such apparatus. In my novel form of scissors no adjustments are required and there is nothing to catch in the hair.

According to the invention, a simple gauge is immovably fixed to the outside of one blade of a pair of scissors and extends from the blade for a distance equal to the length of the hair to be left on the head after the haircut. Thus, by holding the gauge firmly against the head, the proper length of hair may be easily cut. Furthermore, a second gauge projecting a lesser distance beyond the blade may be similarly fixed to the co-acting blade of the scissors; and by reversing the latter the hair maybe cut to leave a shorter length of hair upon a different portion or the head.

The invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the method of cutting hair by means of a pair of scissors and a pair of gauges fixed thereto, all in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of one of the gauges showing means whereby the gauge may be attached;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one blade of a pair of scissors to which a separate gauge is immovably fixed; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a complementary blade of a pair of scissors illustrating the gauge as being formed integrally with the blade of the scissors in connection with which it acts.

In the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 there is shown a pair of scissors [0, comprising a blade II and a coacting blade [2 of usual form. The conventional screw or bolt [3 pivots the blades of the scissors in known manner in order that they may cut hair or the like brought between their shearing edges.

According to the invention a gauge, here shown as a block 14, is integrally attached to the blade ll, being illustrated as immovably fixed to the outside of the blade on a major surface thereof. Thus the block [4 may act to space the blade from the head during a hair-cutting operation. The block [4, here shown, may be formed of any known or convenient material and is illustrated as having two threaded sockets l5, I5 therein. In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the block is immovably fixed to the blade H by means of screws l6, l6 which pass through spaced holes in the blade and engage the threads in the sockets l5, [5.

In order that the hair may be cut to leave a shorter length of hair upon certain portions of the head than upon others, a second block [1, projecting a lesser distance beyond the blade may be similarly fixed to the blade l2, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Thus, by reversing the scissors l0, it is possible to hold either block against the head and to cut the hair so as to leave two lengths of hair upon the head as desired.

Obviously the gauge contemplated by the invention is not limited to the form here shown, nor indeed need the gauge take the form of a block. Clearly also separate blocks need not be attached to the blades ll and I2 but a block [4a may be integrally formed with a blade I20 by unitarily casting or forging the blade and the block as a single integral piece. See Fig. 4. In all cases, the gauge is disposed entirely rearwardly of the shearing edge of the blade to which it is fixed.

Operation of the novel shears or scissors herein described has already been indicated. As shown in Fig. 1 a tuft of hair is pulled outwardly of the head between the blades II and I2. Thereupon, with the block [4 resting against the head, the blades are closed thereby shearing away that portion of the tuft which extends beyond the blade II. By repeating this operation all over the head the hair is cut to leave a uniform length upon the head. Where it is desired to leave a shorter length of hair upon the head, the scissors ID are reversed so that the block 11, of lesser extent beyond the blade [2, lies against the head and the same operation is performed.

From the foregoing it will be evident that a simple and inexpensive apparatus is provided by the invention which eliminates the inconveniences heretofore experienced by one cutting his own hair. The apparatus requires no adjustments and includes nothing which may catch in the hair or interfere even temporarily with the hair cutting operation.

The forms of the invention here described and illustrated are presented merely as examples of how the invention may be applied. Other forms, embodiments and applications of the invention, coming within the proper scope of the appended claims, will, of course, suggest themselves to those skilled in the hair-cutting art.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for cutting hair, said apparatus comprising: a pair of scissors; and a solid substantially rectangular block immovably fixed to and projecting from the side of one blade of said pair of scissors opposite to that upon which the coacting blade lies when the pair of scissors is closed, said block extending throughout the major length of said one blade and having width such that the block is contained within the width dimension of said blade and having predetermined height corresponding to the length to which the hair is to be cut, the side of the block remote from said one blade being disposed in a plane parallel to the cutting plane of the pair of scissors and being adapted to lie against the scalp, whereby said block serves to gauge the distance between the scalp and cutting plane.

2. Apparatus for cutting hair as set forth in claim 1, wherein said coacting blade is provided with a gauge block of similar shape and disposition as said first block but being removably fixed to its said coacting blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 330,535 Whittier et al Nov. 17, 1885 332,030 Young Dec. 8, 1885 595,470 Goldner Dec. 14, 1897 1,257,679 Cox Feb. 26, 1918 1,311,438 Copus July 29, 1919 1,319,588 Johnston Oct. 21, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 132,182 Great Britain Sept. 11, 1919 

